


All In Time

by Gothfoxgirl



Category: Danny Phantom, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Crossover, Eventual AiDeku, Ghosts, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Inconsistent chapter lengths, M/M, Midoriya Izuku Does Not Have One for All Quirk, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Not Beta Read, OP!Izuku, Partial Slow Burn, Shota is a gay disaster, and so is Izuku, we die like warriors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 04:42:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18276014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothfoxgirl/pseuds/Gothfoxgirl
Summary: Time. Such a simple concept to humans. But...there is no time. Time is an illusion brought by the rotation of the Earth on its axis and its revolution around its celestial heat and light source. Will time be understood by the human mind, any time soon? Probably not. But that doesn't mean it can't be exploited by individuals that do understand its base mechanics...Or:I. Have. No. Self. Control.





	1. Glow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...............................................................I have no control over the creative centers in my brain >^<

It was the middle of the night and Eraserhead was set on his patrols through the backstreets of Mustafu. From the corner of his eye, he caught something green from the depths of the shadows. Eyes. And they were watching his every movement. His hair went up and his eyes shone red through the slits in his goggles.  
“Who are you and why are you following me?” A satisfied chuckle left the pit of darkness, as the person stepped into view. It was a person wearing a dark purple, hooded, robe, their face cast in shadows.  
“Ah...Is it such a crime to want to see one of my favorite heroes in person?” His voice was calm, causing alarm bells to raise in Eraserhead’s mind. Then recognition set in.  
“You’re Phantom…” The cloaked man gave a small bow.  
“Such an honor to be known in the system and by someone with a standing such as yours.” Eraser was, internally, confused as hell. He could sense absolutely no sarcasm from the vigilante. The raven was on guard, making the hooded man tip his head.  
“Hm? Do I prove to be a threat to you? If I do, then I apologize. It was not my intention, Aizawa Shota-san.” Eraserhead jolted.  
“How do you-”  
“Know your name? I know many things...Oh so many things...Even those I do not wish to. I know the civilian names of all the heroes in the system.”  
“Why haven’t you made your move, then?” There was a sigh from the depths of the hood.  
“I am a vigilante, Aizawa-san, not a villain. I do not possess the want nor need to use that information, for I do not see a reason to do so. Do we not strive for the same thing? The safety of our alleys? What differences do we have to one another, except for the lack of a license on my end?”  
“You’re a vigilante.” Phantom didn’t seem to respond to the tinge of hostility in the man’s voice, only sighing, sadly.  
“You heroes don’t understand...Heroism and villainy are two sides of the same coin. One cannot survive without the other. And vigilantism rests on the bare, teetering, edge of it. Good and evil are the same blade that runs the system and, sometimes, heroism can do more harm than villainy. You heroes are stuck in the mindset that everything is black and white, but you’re wrong. As there is no true black or true white in the color spectrum, neither is there in morality. No person is a hundred percent selfless nor selfish. People embody tones of grey instead of the absolute. It only falls to question how dark your grey is.” The cloaked man glanced up to the sky, before lowering his head.  
“It seems I’ve to be going.” The bottom edge swooped up and the vigilante was gone. Shota swore and looked up, spotting the tail end of purple going over a roof. Making his way up, he found himself too late. Phantom was gone.

He sighed and put his foot on the edge of the roof, turning back to face the alley he was just in. On the roof across from him, he caught a dark shape leaned against one of the air conditioning units. He jumped over, finding that it was a teenager. He was asleep with his headphones in and his dark green hoodie over his head. Eraserhead, cautiously, reached out to shake him awake. Green curls fluffed out of his hood, as he started awake.  
“Shit! You...You startled me…”  
“Kid, what are you doing out here so late? It’s two in the morning.” As forest colored eyes blinked open, groggily, a flicker went through them.  
“Wait...You’re Eraserhead!”  
“You didn’t answer my question, Kid.”  
“Oh, I kinda live out here. Got no place to go, so I just camp out here...or anywhere actually.”  
“Parents?” A shrug.  
“Nope. Both died before and when I was born, respectively. Been on my own since I escaped my terrible foster family...You’re...not gonna make me go back...right?” The flicker of wariness in the teen’s eyes made Aizawa sigh.  
“Nah. Did you see a guy in a purple cloak go by?” The greenette scratched at his face in thought.  
“Oh! You’re talking about Phantom-san! No. Not tonight, anyways. I’ve been out cold up here since about...midnight...I think, so I haven’t seen him. Sorry, Eraserhead-san.” He was waved off.  
“What’s your name, Kid?” He got a raised brow.  
“I’m Izuku. And I’m not a kid. I’m fifteen!” Aizawa gave a cheeky little smirk.  
“You’re a kid to me. Thanks for the information.” The greenette reciprocated the cheek, goodnaturedly.  
“I guess I would...to a geezer like you.” Steel eyes looked back at him in surprise.  
“Damn...Who taught you to sass like that?” Izuku chuckled.  
“I’m a street rat. I pick up things. Like how off guard you are around me. That isn’t safe, you know.” Aizawa blinked, realizing Izuku was right. He felt less tense around this teenager, who he’d barely knew for five or six minutes.

He gave a shrug.  
“I know. But who said you were a threat?” There was a dark chuckle from behind him, making him look back at the greenette, who was standing on the roof again, pulling something from his jacket pocket. He flicked something out that looked like a butterfly knife in a set of movements, before stopping and bringing it to his hair. A comb. Izuku made a laughing sound.  
“Chill. Just a comb. My hair got all knotted during the day. You know I was kidding about your guard right?” Shota knew that he hadn’t been. The comb was black with dull silver teeth that seemed hypnotizing, as it was flicked around again and put away into the boy’s pocket, once again.  
“Well...Looks like your shift isn’t quite over, so don’t let me keep you from your duties, tonight. Maybe we’ll run into each other again.” That was when Aizawa had something dawn on him.  
“Why haven’t we done so before? I mean, you seem like you’ve been out here almost all your life and I almost always patrol here.” He got a lighthearted laugh in response.  
“I’m known to be able to disappear while someone is staring at me. If I don’t want to be found, I won’t be. I can give just about anyone the slip, so don’t make yourself look for me. You won’t find me.” Eraser nodded and turned to leave.  
“Maybe I’ll see you around.”  
“Maybe.” Just as the hero left, he could have sworn he watched the teenager turn into a man in his early thirties and then to one in his late sixties, but, as he turned back, he only found the green haired teenager waving to him, as he made his leave. Strange...


	2. Linger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyyy I'm back

While he was hoping to meet this mysterious Izuku again, he didn’t think it’d be so soon. Only about a week later. The kid was hanging in a fire escape, his eyes cracked open a little and his arm fit through the bars, limply.  
“Izuku-san?” Those eyes blinked at him, unseeingly. Something was wrong.  
“Is everything alright?” He jumped when the greenette’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he blacked out. Aizawa tried to shake him a little, when Izuku shifted onto his side. He jolted. The boy’s shirt was _drenched_ in blood. His instincts kicked in and he lifted the boy into his arms, finding the scrapes and cuts on his face with the help of the light. As soon as he leapt down to the alley floor, green eyes started to stir.  
“Eraserhead?”   
“Rest, Kid. I’ll get you to some help.”  
“Where are you takin’ me?”  
“The hospital.” Izuku shook his head.  
“‘M fine…” Aizawa rose a brow.  
“You’re bleeding out.” Izuku’s visage shimmered for a second, before the man felt and saw nothing in his arms. Like he’d vanished. He heard something hit the wall a few feet from him and found Izuku there, knelt on the fire escape, again, with his hand against the brick.  
“Hey-“ He stopped, when the teenager glanced up, as if debating something, before sighing and reaching over his shoulder, grabbing the back of his long sleeved, grey, shirt. He pulled it forwards and off with a grunt at the fabric ripping away from his wound. Like a band aid. There was a bleeding gash across his stomach, the blood still oozing like molasses. He checked it over with a sigh and rose his hand a little, before snapping. Like time was rewinding itself, Aizawa watched the slice into the greenette’s flesh knit back up in the opposite direction it was made in the first place. Before the hero could ask about it, a voice came from the shadows.  
“Looks like you got yourself in a stitch, eh, Izuku?” A familiar purple cloak stepped into the light, making Eraser blink.  
“Phantom.” The greenette sighed.  
“Hi, Sensei…” 

That was...unexpected.

“Sensei?” Izuku scratched the back of his head.  
“Yeah...He taught me how to survive out here. I have no idea where I’d be if I hadn’t met him...Probably dead.” A chuckle came from the vigilante, as he lowered a black gloved hand to ruffle his student’s hair.  
“You were doing just fine on your own. I just helped you with your skills.” Eraserhead blinked at them through his goggles.  
“You act like he’s your son…” A small laugh left the darkened hood.  
“He might as well be.” Izuku rolled his eyes and pushed the man’s hand away from his head.  
“So...Did I do good this time?” Phantom took a look at where the injury would have been and gave a thumbs up.  
“All good. You got the skin to heal correctly and the bruising’s gone, too. What did you do this time?”  
“I...uh…..kina, maybe, pissed off Yako-san…” Phantom facepalmed.  
“Why?! You know that he doesn’t like you!”  
“He kept throwing things at me! And all I did was make his plants wilt a little. He can make them grow back.” He rubbed at his head, as Phantom came down on top with a fist.  
“Stop pissing off my contacts, Gaki!” Izuku pouted in a way that made Eraser stare at him. It was _adorable_.   
“Stop with the face. You’re fifteen, not a child.” The freckled boy sighed and stood back up, cracking his back.  
“Sorry for the scare, Eraserhead-san.”  
“Hm? You’ve met before?” The raven cleared his throat.  
“The other night. The one when you gave me the slip. He was on the opposite roof, asleep.” Phantom nodded.  
“Yes. He does prefer sleeping outside over inside.” They bid each other a good rest of the night and split up.

By the time Aizawa got up in the morning for class, he could barely think of anything other than that kid. What was his quirk? He had teleported or warped out of his arms last night, but he also could heal himself. He didn’t realize how lost in thought he was until a hand jolted him out of it.  
“Shota? What has you thinking so hard?” The dark man sighed and responded to Mic’s question, running his hand over his face.  
“A week ago, I ran into Phantom and a teenage street rat. Then, last night, I found out the street rat is Phantom’s student.” The blonde stared at his friend.  
“Phantom has an apprentice?!”  
“Wouldn’t call him an apprentice, really. More like he passed on tidbits of his knowledge to the kid.”  
“How old is he?”  
“Fifteen. The same age as our students. And it seems his biological parents are dead, so he’s been on his own, until Phantom picked him up and put him under his wing.” Mic let out a whistle.  
“Damn...He’s young and already on the streets…”  
“He looked just fine, to me. Just by the look in his eyes, I could tell that he knew the alleys and the people in them like the back of his hand. He’s experienced with that kind of lifestyle.”  
“You want to see him again.”  
“If only to get answers. Why he didn’t go to live with his relatives. What his quirk is. Why the hell he acted like getting injured was no big deal…”  
“His quirk?”  
“He could teleport and heal himself. It’s no uncommon nor common to have dual quirks that aren’t related in some way.” The blonde pat his shoulder.  
“You’re the night owl, so I’m sure you’ll be able to ask soon enough.” The raven nodded and got back to setting the curriculum for his class up for the day.


	3. Green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:D

“He’s...not here.”  
“I know...He’s heavily injured.”  
“Right. You know about this time period better than I do.” A purple hood glanced down, glowing green eyes meeting those of forest.  
“He was...in a coma for almost two days.” Izuku gave a soft smirk.  
“Why don’t you go back? I’m sure your absence has been noticed.” Black gloves came up and pulled down Phantom’s hood, bearing an identical face to the one standing next to him, only a couple decades older and with a scar going through his left eye, shaped like a lightning bolt.   
“Alright. Just remember where I am in the timestream if you need another alibi.”   
“Thanks. See you later.” He waved, watching as the older version of himself swept his cloak up, a clock hand following his movements, before he disappeared completely. Izuku sighed and cracked his neck, his features chisling out more and his height growing. When he opened his eyes, he looked identical to the man known as Phantom, just without the scar. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair glasses that were rectangular with rounded corners. As he put them on, he stepped out of the alley, his clothes having resized to fit him. He stepped onto the sidewalk, removing his hoodie. It was too damn hot for it, even this late in the evening. He was left in a skin tight, light grey, running shirt and a pair of, camouflage patterned, cargo shorts, as he rounded another corner, slipping into that alley and stashing his sweater in a nook in the wall. As he returned to the street, he shoved his hands into his pockets, after putting his earbuds on. He got a couple stares from some people, but he didn’t care. He knew they were staring at his figure. That wasn’t his focus for the moment. 

It was about the time that the teachers left UA to go to their homes. Izuku decided to loiter and see if he could catch a glimpse of the night hero. Around seven, a man with black hair walked through the gates...absolutely wrapped in bandages, both arms in casts. Izuku could only whistle.  
“They did you some damage, didn’t they?” The hero’s head whipped in his direction, completely on high alert. Izuku sighed.  
“Don’t worry, Aizawa-san. I’m not here to cause harm. I just noticed your absence over the past few days. Poked around and found out The League of Dumbasses attacked your class. Came to see how bad the damage was.”   
“Do I…” Izuku smirked, his eyes glowing slightly, making the darker man blink, his voice low.  
“Phantom.”   
“Ding! Ding! Got it in one!”   
“So...This is what you look like. You look a lot like the other kid.”  
“I’ve been told. ‘S why people think he’s my son. We’re just that oddity of doppelgangers. There’s an elderly man, that lives a couple towns over and comes over for business, that looks like he could be _my_ father. He’s my contact for his city. Hosu.”  
“Odd…” Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose.  
“Oh. Right. The reason I'm here. I'm…” The greenette looked unsure if he should continue.  
“...unsure if I'm out of line asking, but...I'm curious about that ‘Nomu’ creature.” He caught the minuscule flinch in the hero's posture and reeled in his inquiry.  
“I apologize. It was wrong of me to ask, knowing of your...incident.” He bowed at the waist, his head dipped down and the neck of his shirt stretching out a little, giving the other man a glimpse of his shoulder. He was eternally grateful that the bandages hid most of his blush from sight.  
“Don't bow. I'm a hero and you're a vigilante.” Green hair came back up, showing the man to be about 17 or 18 centimeters taller than the Erasure Hero. Damn he's tall. What's with all the guys he's kind of acquainted with being tall? Mic. All Might. And, now, Phantom. The greenette also seemed a couple years older. Maybe around thirty five?   
“That doesn't mean I can't be apologetic when I know I'm in the wrong.”   
“You don't need to be. I just had a flashback. It's fine. Why do you want to know about that thing?” Izuku sighed.  
“Because I have a feeling I know who's making them.”  
“Them? There's more?!”   
“Yes...Is there someplace we can talk away from prying ears?”   
“My apartment is just down the block.”   
“Lead the way.” Aizawa nodded and started to walk towards the more mundane section of the housing district. 

That was when the squealing of tires broke the air. A car had come barreling down the road, towards a young girl in the sidewalk, after the walk light had turned red again. Izuku stepped forwards, an Aizawa heard his voice pitch a touch deeper, as he put his hand in front of him.  
“Time. Out.” Everything froze. Cars. People walking. Even the birds in the air. Everything except for Izuku. He rushed out to the street and picked the girl up, bringing her back to the sidewalk.  
“Time. In.” Everything went back to normal, many people looking around, confused, for the little girl who had almost been hit. Said girl blinked and turned her head up to the man that had saved her.  
“D-Did you...teleport?” Izuku gave a soft smile.  
“Of a sort. Be careful when you cross the street, next time. Keep up with your mom and don't let go of her hand, ok?” The brunette girl nodded, as a woman rushed back across the street.  
“Yumi-chan!” Izuku leaned down and passed the child to her mother.  
“Thank you! Thank you, so much!” He gave a dazzling smile.  
“It's of no trouble, Ma'am. She was just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He pat the girl's head, who giggled with laughing pink eyes.  
“Thank you, Mister!”   
“You're welcome, Little One.” As he watched the two walk away, he felt Aizawa staring at him.  
“Hm?”   
“Did you just...stop time?”   
“Whatever do you mean?”   
“I heard you say ‘Time Out’.”   
“Ah. I do say that when I use it...Yes, I can stop time. Part of my quirk is time manipulation, but not the extent of it. It's much too boring to explain the pieces of it, so I'll spare you that boredom.” As they reached the small apartment, they sat on the couches that faced each other.

“You said you knew about the Nomu?”  
“I did. I know who's creating them, but, I'm sorry, that I cannot share. I CAN share what else I know of them. They are brainless...mindless, I mean. They only follow orders from their creator and that of the person they're ordered to respond to. They're capable of containing more than one quirk, some getting up to three or four at max, depending on what they're made for...and who they're made from.”   
“Made...from?”   
“Humans that have been stripped of their own quirk and tested...experimented on by the aforementioned, secretive, people I referenced. This heinous experimentation has left them technically braindead and only capable of taking orders. They don't feel pain. They don't feel fear. They don't feel anything. And...they don't react to anything but their master's command. They're the perfect weapons against heroes. Creatures that can be run on nothing but words alone and be put to their limits. Be put in situations that would kill other people, without worry for loss of any members. They're, technically, mindless gorillas with multiple quirks that can be set on someone at will.” Aizawa stared at the vigilante in front of him.  
“Such...power. And in the hands of villains…”  
“Yes...It’s disconcerting.”  
“What about you? You’ve been talking about these people like you know them.”  
“They tried to get me to turn villain about three years ago. Tried being the keyword. I refused, but kept one ear down their halls and in their labs. There’s almost nothing they could do or plan without my knowing. If anything, I’d rather work with heroes than villains or most of the other vigilantes anyday.” Burnt silver flickered up to emerald green.  
“About that. Why didn’t you become a hero?” Those eyes closed with a sigh.  
“I...Both Izuku and I tried. We tried different schools than UA, from the mainland, and we were failed.”  
“With quirks like yours? How?”  
“We prioritized the safety of the other contestants over the faux villains we were up against.” He was stared at.  
“UA specializes in rescue. We give copious rescue points where they’re due.” Izuku put his hand to his chin.  
“Interesting...Too bad it’s too late now...Such a shame. Ah...I should be letting you turn in for the night. I’ll see myself out. Have a nice night.” Aizawa could only wave as the other man left, diving for the phone, as soon as he’d left the apartment and was out of earshot.

The phone rang for a couple seconds, before being picked up.  
“Shota? Is everything ok?”  
“I...just met Phantom again.”  
“Did he hurt you?” The serious tone in his friend’s voice made Aizawa sigh.  
“No...He noticed my absence and came to check how true the alley rumors were. But…”  
“What’s wrong?”  
“He came without his cloak.”  
“You got to see Phantom’s face?!” He jerked the phone from his ear at Mic’s yell.  
“Yeah.”  
“What does he look like?!”  
“Green hair and eyes. Freckles. Pale. Now that I stand next to him, he’s about 1.9 to 2 meters tall(78-79 inches(6 foot 6)). He’s identical to the kid he’s teaching, but they aren’t related.”  
“Woah...So what did he want?”  
“He wanted to ask about the...the Nomu. But, when I showed my surprise, he took it back and apologized for making me uncomfortable.”  
“Huh? But he’s a vigilante…”  
“He saved a little girl today. He used his quirk in front of me, without worry about getting arrested, though I don’t think I could’ve done anything in my current situation.”  
“What is his quirk?”  
“Part of it is Time Manipulation. He can _stop time_ at will.” A whistle came through the receiver.  
“Useful. But why do you sound so flustered?”  
“Hizashi. He’s. Hot.” A laugh came from the blonde’s end, the other practically hearing his friend shaking his head.

“Shota, you gay disaster…”


	4. Intangible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAVE THIS
> 
> _Chucks this at you_

The next week was calm during the night. If hearing of no crimes was calm. It made Shota wary. He wasn’t out there, so he didn’t know the cause. He couldn’t patrol the alleys like he used to, due to his injuries, and it bothered him. It was the Monday after that calm week when he found himself taking a nighttime stroll. He couldn’t sleep. He came to an alley, where he could hear the faint sounds of fighting getting louder. He had to move out of the way, as a body came sailing out into the street. The teenager flipped up, wiping the blood from his freckled face. It was Izuku. He darted back in, where Aizawa saw a man with a shark head grab him by the arm. He was delivered a swift uppercut kick to the face and Izuku was let go. The shark-man sent a punch and...it went straight through the teen’s chest. But there was no blood. The area around it had gained a bluish rim light, the space between seeming see through. Izuku looked up, a little miffed, and held a hand out to face the criminal. A white glow surrounded his hand and blasted the man off him, shoving him through a few trash cans. The criminal got up and ran at him, making Izuku back up. He, finally, noticed Aizawa in the villain’s path and swore, his body morphing larger. Shota felt arms wrap around his shoulders and a tingling sensation covered his whole body. When he opened his eyes, he found his body translucent and with that light bluish-white rim. The shark went right through them, skidding to a stop in the middle of the street. He gnashed his teeth in anger, as Aizawa was released. There, in front of him, was Phantom. Izuku had turned into Phantom.

He watched as the greenette groaned, obviously annoyed. He grabbed the criminal by the arm and judo threw him back down the alley. Standing at the mouth, he gestured for Aizawa to cover his ears. Once he did, Izuku took a deep breath and let out a loud, warbling, cry, accompanied by rings of, smearing, white energy. As soon as it hit the shark-man, he was hit with a concussive force that knocked him into a wall and out cold. 

Izuku sighed heftily and ran a hand through his curls.  
“Well...Cat’s out of the bag, I guess.” Aizawa only stared at him.  
“You’re both Izuku and Phantom. That’s why you look alike!”   
“Yes.”  
“Then how were you in two places at once?!”  
“I can summon versions of myself from this timestream. The one you saw was me from twenty years in the future. A week ago, that was, truly, me as I am in this time.” Shota’s bain looked fried as hell.  
“You said your quirk was partially time manipulation. How did you do that?” Izuku sighed and lead him into another alley, leaving the criminal in the other.  
“Time Manipulation is only part of my quirk. In actuality, I call it ‘Clockwork’. The other part is that I have ghost-like attributes. That’s how I went intangible earlier and, soon after, made you as well, along with that ectoblast and wail I did.”  
“Ghost?”  
“I’m not dead...technically. My quirk manifested and saved me when I was two and a half. I fell off a high ledge and hit my head. I’d actually be dead if my quirk didn’t activate. At that time, I could ‘teleport’ at will, until I reached six. I ran from my foster family at eight, cultivated my powers even more for two years, and became Phantom at age ten. This year, at fifteen, I tried to get into a hero school, but, as you know, I was failed.”  
“You started as Phantom when you were TEN?”   
“Yes.” He sighed and continued.  
“So...What will you do with this information, now that you know it?” Aizawa just stared at the man-teenager in front of him.  
“I can request that you take a late entrance exam for UA. You can still be a hero.” Izuku sighed for the umpteenth time.  
“With my background? I doubt it. Besides...The Sports Festival is just around the corner. There won’t be enough time. And...who would let a vigilante be a hero?” Green eyes closed, as he leaned against the wall.  
“You got caught in between a fight meant for me and nearly got injured again. At least...At least allow me to walk you back to your home.” There had been a candle flame of hope in those eyes of his, surrounded by sadness and depressed acceptance. Shota decided to take his offer and was walked home by Izuku in his adult form. When he turned to thank him, the greenette was gone. Tucked in his cast, loosely, was a piece of paper. Nudging it loose, he found a number scrawled across it. Izuku’s number.

The next day found Shota stepping into UA with his bag slung over his shoulder. He was early. Not something he’d made a habit of. He used this time to make his way up to Nezu’s office and slipped his arm out of its sling to knock.  
“Ah. Come in!” He stepped in, gaining the attention of the principal.  
“Ah. Good morning, Aizawa-san. Is there something you needed?” Shota nodded with a sigh.  
“Is it possible for someone to retake the Entrance Exams after the set date?” It was to the point, but the mouse-bear-man only put a hand to his chin.  
“Why would someone need to take the test so late?”  
“He was failed at another school, during that time, doing something that we pride ourselves on here.”  
“Hm?”  
“He didn’t amass enough villain points on the account of protecting the other contestants.” A touch of surprise clicked on in his boss’ obsidian eyes.  
“Interesting...Who is this young man?” Aizawa sighed a little.  
“All I know is that his first name is Izuku.”  
“And what would make him catch your eye?” This was it. He was about to blow the boy’s cover.  
“He’s...Phantom.” The room went silent, before Nezu spoke again.  
“I apologize. Did you say that a fifteen year old is Phantom? Phantom has been spotted as a man in his mid thirties.”  
“I thought so, too, until...last night. I was taking a walk in the middle of the night, when I found Izuku fighting a criminal in an alley. Halfway through, he noticed that I was in direct line of one of the villain’s attacks and...changed size and form to protect me. He turned into Phantom. And, no, he doesn’t have an impersonation quirk. I’ve seen what Phantom looks without his cloak, with my own two eyes.” The principal rubbed at his chin.  
“Hm...Did he explain what his quirk is?”  
“It’s called Clockwork and it gives him a host of abilities. Time Manipulation. Age Manipulation. Ghost Abilities. The ability to summon himself from our own future.”  
“Ghost abilities?”  
“Intangibility, invisibility, he can fly, he can shoot blasts from his hands, and he did this thing he called a ghostly wail. He can also transfer the intangibility and invisibility to other people. He made me intangible so that the criminal went right through us.” His boss looked thoughtful.  
“Do you have a way to contact this Izuku? I’d like to meet with him.”  
“He gave me his number.”  
“Great! If you would give him a call after school today, that would be most helpful! If he agrees to meet me, let him know that between five and seven are good times for me. In the morning and the afternoon.” Aizawa nodded.

Ho boy. This was gonna get awkward.


	5. Found Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M NOT DEAD LOL

That call...It made Aizawa nervous. Not being on the call itself, but actually picking up his phone and dialing. He remembered what he’d said to Mic and wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Though he he hadn’t known that Phantom and Izuku were one and the same, he was still attracted to him...His adult form at the moment, to be specific. He took a breath and typed in the number, holding the phone to his ear. After a few rings, a voice came over the other end.  
“Hello?”  
“Ah...This is Aizawa.”  
“Oh! Hello!”  
“I talked to Nezu about getting you in and he wants to meet you.”  
“Hmm...Interesting. What time?”  
“He said that from five to seven, both AM and PM he’s free. Any day.”  
“Let him know that I’m free...Thursday at five thirty.”  
“I will.”  
“Thank you. Oh. Would you mind being there? I’ve heard that he can be quite...hard to be alone with.”  
“I can try.”  
“Thank you, again. I’ll see you in two days.” When he got off the reciever, he noticed that they’d only been talking for a maximum of three minutes, tops. It was like Izuku knew he didn’t like talking on the phone any longer than necessary.

Two days went by in a blur. Aizawa stood near the front of the school, waiting for a head of green hair to come into his vision. And it did. The freckled face of teenager Izuku came down the sidewalk, dressed in a grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of full length jeans. He nodded to the pro, as he pulled his hair out of his face and into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. Aizawa nodded back and started leading him through the halls, noting that Izuku acted like he’d been there before. They came to the door and the raven knocked, getting the go ahead to come in. Nezu smiled, as soon as he saw Izuku.  
“Ah. Izuku-san. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  
“As it is to, finally, meet you Principal-san. I do know that Aizawa-san had to disclose my cover to you, so you do not have to worry about triggering anything from me.” The greenette’s reassuring smile was a tad contagious, spreading to the mouse-bear-man quite easily.  
“That is good to know. Now that I do, I can get directly to the point of this meeting. You are Phantom, yes?” Izuku nodded and turned into his thirty-five year old self, his, distinct, purple cloak appearing out of thin air around him. He pulled down his hood and nodded, his voice deeper than as a teenager.  
“I am. This is the form I take, as Aizawa-san has, most likely, told you.”  
“He has. Why do you want to be a hero, Izuku-san?”  
“It’s quite simple, really. I want to help people and put my quirk to good use. Had I taken UA’s entrance exam, I’d be on my way to doing just that, but I tried at a different school and was failed.”  
“Unjustly, if my opinion is wanted. Rescue is half of a hero’s job. To not include any points for it during the exam is an egregious waste of potential!” Izuku tipped his head, but listened and shrunk back down, as the man continued.  
“I would like to offer you a way into the Heroics class if you would take it.”  
“Hm?”  
“As you know, the Sports Festival is coming up in a week’s time. I offer you a chance to compete for your place in the top two class brackets in the school. What say you? Would you like to take the chance?” Izuku stalled out for a minute, before a gentle smile took over his face and he held out a hand to the principal.  
“I’d say...Of course! And, for your records, my name is Midoriya Izuku.” As they shook hands, both men blinked in surprise.  
“You’ve been missing for seven years.”  
“Yeah. I know. I ran from my foster family, remember?” Aizawa nodded.  
“I do.” The greenette sighed and bit at his lip.  
“I...also abandoned the only other family that I could have called my own. A friend of my mom, her husband, and...and their son.”  
“Her son?”  
“I know he goes here, now. But I’ve been too much of a coward to approach him again.” Nezu nodded.  
“I’m sure you’ll be seeing him again soon with your involvement with the festival.” The teenager nodded, knowing he was right.

The day of the festival came and the classes were introduced. The top of the class had given his speech, though short and shocking. That was when a faint scoff came from the tunnel, making the contestants swivel their heads in that direction. MIdnight facepalmed.  
“I apologize. I had forgotten you were here too, Midoriya-san.” The other students watched as a green haired boy stepped onto the dirt and grass, making his way towards them. The ashen blonde on the podium looked both in shock and furious, as he leapt off the stage and directly at the newcomer.  
“DEKU! WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!” He was caught by a single hand, green staring into watering red.  
“Where have you been, you bastard?! M...Mom has been…”   
“I know. I was...am a coward. I’m sorry. We can talk later.” He let go of the taller boy and nodded to Midnight.  
“Whether I get into the hero course or not, he is no more.”  
“What?”  
“The spector will no longer haunt Mustafu’s alleys. Phantom...is gone.” She stared at him a moment, before giving an understanding nod.  
“Understood...Phantom-san.” The entire stadium went silent, making Izuku sigh and project his voice.  
“Yes, you’re not having hearing problems. I...am Phantom! Before you freak out over my age, I’ll get this over with.” He changed his form into that of his adult one, his UA issued gym uniform stretching with him. As per his request. Standing there was a broad shouldered man with a head of green hair that had to be tied out of his face.  
“This was my Phantom form. Now, let’s get on with this…” He turned back to the proctor, who introduced the race as the first obstacle. She gestured towards the edge of the stadium, where the gates started opening, as the timer started counting down. Once it reached zero, she brought her arm down.

“START!”


	6. Partners In Crime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof this isnt dead i swear XD

The classes started piling towards the gates, as Izuku strolled behind them at a leisure pace. He held out his hand.  
“Time...Out.” Everything came to a stop. All the sounds. All movement. Izuku made himself move quicker, flipping between the walls and into the open again, dodging around the giant robots, frozen in time, in front of him. He was halfway across the pit, when he felt a ticking in his chest and sighed.  
“Time In.” There was a second, before he heard Mic’s confused voice over the speakers.  
“HUH?! HOW DID MIDORIYA GET SO FAR SO FAST?!” He focused back on the pit and made it across the expanse in little time. He kept going, Mic accounting his triumph to the crowd. When he reached the mines, he, simply, deadpanned. Easy. His legs fused together into a ghostly tail, letting him float over the field without trouble. By the time he reached the other side, he heard Mic talking about the pit for the other contestants. He simply walked out and into the stadium again, shielding his eyes from the glare.  
“BULLETING INTO FIRST PLACE IS MIDORIYA-SAN!” He sighed and yawned, cracking his neck, as he waited for the rest of the students. They got there, Todoroki and Bakugo leading the pack in second and third place, respectively. 

When they were given their time to create their teams, green eyes started scouting for potential teammates. The first was a boy with a bird-like head.  
“Hello. I’m Midoriya Izuku.” The other boy turned with a bit of a stunned expression on his face, as he shook his hand.  
“Tokoyami Fumikage.”  
“I’d like to ask if you would like to team up. I know my pointage is high and I understand if you refuse.”  
“May I ask why you’d choose me out of everyone else?” Green eyes turned sharp.  
“I have an uncanny ability to spot weakness and strengths. Many of the others have an arrogance issue and I’m sure some of the others would avoid me due to me being a high risk factor. I could also speculate on your quirk. You don’t have the build of a close combat fighter, so I believe you an emitter type. Like me. You’re a long range fighter and you rely on heavy hitting attacks from your quirk.” That was when a bird-like being, made of darkness, poked its head out.  
“Yo!”  
“This is Dark Shadow. He’s a shadow creature that lives inside of me.” Izuku nodded to the quirk.  
“I believe you would be the best shield, positioned at the front.” Tokoyami nodded and the greenette turned back to the rest of the competitors. There was a brunette girl looking for a group, pink pads on her fingertips.  
“Hello, Miss.” She turned towards him with big, kind, brown eyes.  
“O-Oh! Hello! I’m Uraraka Ochako.”  
“Midoriya Izuku. You seem like another emitter type. Something to do with the pads on your fingers.” She nodded.  
“I can stop gravity on things, including people and myself.”  
“You’d be good support at back right...If you’d like to be on my team, that is.”  
“Of course!” The final person he spotted was another girl with short greyish-purple hair and blue eyes. She seemed shy and was wringing her hands.  
“Good day, Miss.” She looked over with tired eyes and a soft voice.  
“Hello...You’re Phantom, right?”

Izuku gave a faint smile. He liked the soothing calm her voice brought him.  
“I used to be. I’m Midoriya Izuku.” She shook his hand.  
“Yanagi Reiko.”   
“Would you like to join our team? I have a feeling your quirk would be beneficial to us. Something to do with your hands, correct?” She looked a little startled, but accepted.  
“I can levitate objects at will...My limit is about the weight of one person.”  
“You’d do well at back left. You all should know my quirk, as well. I can stop and manipulate time. My limit is fifteen minutes my time. I can change my age appearance and I can pull objects and people from the past and the future. I can also take people with me through these time stops. As long as they’re touching me or something on my person that is flush against my skin. I think we can exploit that part to help us weasel our way around the direct hitters. Bakugo and Todoroki are the ones we should be most alert of. Also, Monoma." Reiko blinked.  
"You know him?" Izuku sighed with a soft scoff.  
"Not him...I know his grandfather…"  
"His grandfather?"   
"The man's a jackass. I just hope his grandson is less of one." Uraraka sweatdropped.  
"He...Uh...He doesn't like Class A...and he's creepy…"   
"I see. Conceited and vain, but also self conscious…"   
"Exactly." The greenette nodded.  
"His quirk is called Copy. With direct contact, he can copy multiple quirks at a time, but can only use one at a time in a battle.” Reiko stared at him.  
“How did you…”  
“His grandfather told me, when he tried to recruit me. Of course I shot him down. We should go over strategy.” The others nodded and they huddled together.

A few minutes later, they got into position with Izuku on top.  
“Make sure you’re all touching a piece of my clothing, when the time starts. With so many passengers, I can only hold it for a minute and a half and we’ll have a two minute cooldown time.” The three nodded and they set to wait for Midnight to tell them to start. They didn’t have to wait long.  
“START!” As he predicted, many of the groups made a beeline for them. When they got within a certain distance, Izuku called out to his teammates.  
“Hold on!” He held out his hand.  
“Time Out!” Everything started to slow, before coming to a stop. His teammates rushed across the field, Izuku taking bandanas down off the competitors left and right. Soon, he’d amassed a handful of them. As they stood on the opposite end, he put the one hundred million on the bottom of the stack and put the others over it, turning the one on his head inside out to match the others. The ticking in his chest turned into a stabbing pain.  
“Time In.” Everything came back to normal, the students jumping, since the group seemed to just disappear.

It took a minute for them to realize that their bandanas were missing. Their clothes lightened by Uraraka’s quirk made them lighter, as they skirted around the stage. Reiko helped out by pulling bandanas over eyes and disorient people by spinning them around. That was when blonde hair and purple eyes got up in their faces.  
“Monoma.” He laughed, haughtily.  
“So you know me!” He reached his hand out, making Izuku’s eyes narrow.  
“You don’t want to do that. My quirk would destroy you.”  
“You’re just trying to scare me.” A flicker of insanity switched on in those green eyes.  
“I’ve had twelve and a half years for my ectoplasmic core to bond to my body. Do you think you can handle the searing pain of a new, caustic, ecto core suddenly appearing inside of you? You know what? I dare you to do it. Copy my quirk...I’ll have fun watching you writhe in agony…” Even the greenette’s teammates tensed at what he said. It gave Izuku enough time to send an elbow into the blonde’s chest, knocking him away and out of reach. 

They were starting to be swarmed again, making the greenette glance down.  
“Put in the ear plugs I gave you.” They did and Izuku reached down to block Dark Shadow’s ears, as well. He took a deep breath and let out a wail, accompanied by those smearing white rings, albeit much more transparent. Instead of knocking people out, it pushed them back and made them cover their ears, which allowed Reiko to pull their shirts up over their eyes or spin others around again. Tokoyami had Dark Shadow move around to block an attack from Bakugo, making Izuku smirk.  
“Finally going deaf from overusing your quirk, I see.” His cheeky tone made the ashen blonde smirk.  
“And it looks like your quirk developed even more since the last time we saw each other, Deku...But you won’t keep me from reaching the top!” Dark Shadow let out a sound of discomfort, as Kaminari’s body crackled with electricity. Right. Dark vs Light. Izuku’s eyes glowed with a pale green light, before Bakugo’s team had to move back, as a pair of energy blasts hit the ground where the brighter blonde stood. Attacking the same spot, at the boy’s feet, again and again kept him at a good range away, so that Tokoyami could keep using his quirk. That was when the faint ticking in the vigilante’s chest came to a stop.

“Hold on!” They all did and he stopped time again, darting to the other side of the stage, where he let go again, well before his time was up. Ice sprang up around him, corralling Izuku and his team into a corner. Skidding into view was Todoroki, whose bandanas were turned like theirs. Being completely surrounded by ice, all Izuku could do was play keepaway, by using his quirk for quick bursts to keep out of the bicolored boy’s reach. It was only a few minutes, but it felt like eternity.   
“One minute remaining!” They kept this up, until Todoroki was able to grab the bandana off his head. Just as time was called, he turned it over and gripped it with irritation. It was a 100 point, not the 100 million he was going for.

“TEAM MIDORIYA FINISHES FIRST!”


	7. Allies Among Us

It was after the cavalry battle that they were told about the one-on-one fights they would be partaking in after a break for food and water. A couple contestants dropped out on account of amnesia before the final minutes of the cavalry. When it was time to break, Izuku put a hand on Monoma’s shoulder.  
“May I speak to you, Monoma-san?” The blonde followed him into a nook, where the greenette replaced his hand on his shoulder.  
“Time out.” Time froze again.  
“You froze time?”  
“Yes. Someone’s listening in. I wanted to ask you something. Were you ever told about your grandfather? Your mother’s father?” Monoma just stared at him.  
“I was told he was a bad person and to not agree to anything he says or to do anything he asks.” Izuku let out a sigh of relief.  
“Oh, thank God. I thought he was using you to get intel on school secrets. What a relief.”  
“You know him?”  
“Yes. He’s a villain and the worst kind. He twists people into doing his bidding, so he rarely has to get his hands dirty.”

“How do you know him?” Izuku gave a sigh.  
“He tried to recruit me. That’s where he’s a master of making you feel calm, before he pounces. He told me he had a family. A daughter he never sees anymore, who had a son of her own. That’s how I knew your quirk and how to throw you off. Your mother has a quirk that can mimic other quirks, but not outright copy it, like you. Your father can copy and paste certain textures onto his own body. These two quirks combined into you.” The blonde looked unnerved.  
“He told you all that?”  
“Yes. I declined his offer, of course.”  
“I see...Who is my grandfather?”  
“That leads me to a request of mine. I’d like you to deliver a message to All Might for me...please.”  
“Why not tell him yourself?” Izuku nodded.  
“I’m Phantom. Who would believe an ex-vigilante?”   
“Touche. What’s the message?”  
“All For One is still alive. He’s still got the strength of a hundred men, but the eyes of the blind. He is amassing power and an army. He must be stopped or the world will be faced with its Number One Villain, once again.” Neito looked a little afraid.  
“My...My grandfather was the most wanted man in Japan?!”  
“Yes.”  
“I’ll tell him. All For One is alive. He’s still strong, but is blind. He’s gathering more people and power...and he needs to be stopped. Got it.”

Izuku nodded in gratitude.  
“Thank you. Before I let go, Monoma-san...I know how you feel about the A class. You feel robbed and you feel like you were called out as second best.” The blonde grimaced.  
“I have just as good a quirk than those A class students! Why couldn’t I have been seen as worthy?!”  
“You are. Class A and B are on the same level. It’s not skill that gets you into either, nor does it have much to do with scores. It’s the teachers who choose who they think will benefit from their teaching abilities, seeing as your homeroom teacher is also your counselor. You need to know that, should you have been placed in A, Eraserhead may have expelled you in the first class, due to you arrogance. There may have been times where Bakugo’s personality grated on his nerves, but he was able to calm down. Your superiority complex against others would have pissed him off on the first day.”  
“Expelled?”  
“Eraserhead is known for expelling most of, if not all, of his class for wasting his time with petty dreams of grandeur. You also need to know that that kind of attitude can get you killed when you’re a hero. It can get you blacklisted and even downright hated by the populace. I also know that this partially sems from a lack of self confidence, an inferiority complex, and a tinge of depression, which runs in the family, so you have your grandfather to blame for that. Just...You don’t have to hide who you truly are. You were chosen by Vlad, because he believed in you. He believes that he can help shape you into the hero he knows you can be. You may not see it, but you have friends that care for you. That orange haired girl, Kendo I believe her name is, and Tetsutetsu. They both care and worry about you. Remember that you’re only human. And people forget that heroes are too. You’re allowed to feel like you don’t belong or you just don’t feel 100 percent. You’re allowed to not be ok. And slapping on a mask made of conceit and vanity is only making it worse. You’re bottling up your emotions and it’s not healthy. I may not be the best person to lecture you, since I do the same, but I can vouch for the fact that it _hurts_ and it will continue to hurt, until it’s let out. Let Vlad and your friends help you. And if need be, let _me_ help you. Though I don’t know you past what I’ve been told and what I’ve experienced myself, I can tell that you’re a good person inside that shell of yours. Let people in and don’t shove them away. Allow yourself to heal and get better.”

Through Izuku’s speech, Monoma was silent, before something broke open in his eyes. It was like they’d been opened. His lips split into the most real and relieved smile the greenette had ever seen in his life.  
“Thank you, Midoriya-san. I’ll take your advice and I’ll take that message to All Might for you. I’ll do my best to be a hero my parents can be proud of and one that my grandfather will fear with all his heart! I’ll...I’ll try to be a better person...”  
“And that’s all I ask. You don’t need to try. You already are. Just let the mask crumble slowly or drop it and go cold turkey. Whichever way is best for you. Let your healing start with this. Oh. And call me Izuku. When you tell All Might, if he believes you, give him this number. It’s my personal cell. It’s only for your, All Might’s, and Eraserhead’s eyes.”  
“Eraserhead?”  
“He’s the one that got me in here in the first place. I gave him my number, not thinking he’d be able to get me a meeting with Principal Nezu, but he did.” Monoma nodded and Izuku lifted his hand, the ticking starting in his chest again.

Things went back to normal, before Neito made a comment.  
“What’s that ticking sound?”  
“Oh. That’s me. When my time comes to an end, a ticking noise comes from this clock-like mechanism in my chest, around my heart. When I go into full ghost form, it’s most visible.” Finally, Izuku could actually see an honest emotion of curiosity in those violet eyes. It made him smile a bit.  
“I see you’re going cold turkey. Hopefully your friends don’t freak out.” He nodded in agreement. That was when Izuku heard his name.

“MIDORIYA IZUKU AND SHINSO HITOSHI PLEASE COME TO THE STAGE!”


End file.
